Falcons’ Arthur Smith trashes media after Week 1 collapse

May 25, 2021; Flowery Branch, GA, USA; Atlanta Falcons head coach Arthur Smith on the field during Falcons OTA at the Falcons Training Complex. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

Atlanta Falcons coach Arthur Smith was very angry after his team’s collapse against the New Orleans Saints on Sunday, and he seemed to take it out on the media.

The Falcons blew a 16-point fourth quarter lead against the Saints, with New Orleans needing just 30 seconds to go 47 yards in the final minute to set up a game-winning 51-yard field goal from Wil Lutz. Atlanta had the opportunity to salvage a victory as time expired, but Younghoe Koo’s 63-yard field goal attempt was blocked, sealing a 27-26 Saints victory.

Smith was understandably frustrated after the game, and appeared to take out some of his frustrations on the team’s outside critics. During his postgame press conference, he accused the assembled media of trying to “bury” the Falcons, and that such obituaries would be ignored.

Arthur Smith then ended his postgame press conference after a few questions with a walk-off: "You buried us in May. Bury us again. We don't care. We'll get back to work." https://t.co/ipIJboD9lJ pic.twitter.com/rW8One9uDA

— Kelly Price (@thekellyprice) September 11, 2022

“You guys wrote our obituary back in May, and continue to write our obituary. Who cares? We got 16 games,” Smith said. “Write whatever y’all want. Same guys that ranked us 45th, buried us in May, bury us again. We don’t care. We’ll get back to work.”

Smith is right that few expect much from his Atlanta team in 2022. He is also correct that there’s no need to care about what media critics might be saying about the Falcons. That begs the question why he made it such a point of his press conference. Why is Smith worrying about media critics after letting a 16-point lead slip in the fourth quarter? This just makes him look petty and focused on the wrong things.

Smith might be better off taking some pointers from his defensive coordinator’s approach instead of making remarks like the ones he offered Sunday.